Bamako — "We immediately break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine," said the military junta of Mali yesterday, August 4, in view of the alleged involvement of the Ukrainian military intelligence in the massacre of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries of the private military company "Wagner Group" committed by Tuareg rebels and jihadists on July 27 (see Fides, 3/8/2024). "The transitional government of the Republic of Mali has noted with great surprise the subversive statements made by Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence service, confirming Ukraine's involvement in a cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by terrorist groups that resulted in the deaths of members of the Malian defense and security forces," said a military spokesman in a statement read out on television. "These statements were confirmed by those of the Ukrainian ambassador to Senegal, Yuri Pyovarov, who openly and unequivocally expressed his country's support for international terrorism, particularly in Mali."
The Malian military government considers this to be a "flagrant violation of international sovereignty and the UN Charter." For this reason, the Malian government has decided to break off diplomatic relations with Ukraine "with immediate effect", to "refer to the competent judicial authorities the statements of Andriy Yusov and Yurii Pywovarov, which constitute terrorist acts and excuse terrorism", and to take the necessary measures "to prevent the destabilization of Mali by African states, in particular by the Ukrainian embassies installed in the sub-region, with terrorists disguised as diplomats".
On August 2, the Burkina Faso Foreign Ministry had already expressed its "indignation" at the publication of a video by the Ukrainian army on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Embassy in Senegal, which, according to Ouagadougou, "clearly supports the terrorist groups responsible for the cowardly and barbaric attack of July 25-27 in Tinzaouaten in northern Mali". Burkina Faso, together with Mali and Niger, formed the Confederation of Sahel States (AES). All three countries are ruled by military leaders who have left the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). All three countries have drawn closer to Russia, which has sent weapons and military instructors and established economic relations (a delegation from the Russian nuclear energy agency "Rosatom" is expected in Ouagadougou tomorrow to discuss the construction of a nuclear power plant). As part of its fight against Russian aggression, Ukraine is trying to disrupt Moscow's actions in Africa by supporting those who oppose the Wagner Group mercenaries in Sudan as in Mali. In the latter case, however, Ukraine was branded a "sponsor of terrorism" for the massacre of Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries in Tinzaouaten. In reality, the massacre took place in several stages and was primarily the work of Tuareg and independence fighters of the CSP (Cadre Stratégique Permanent) and the jihadists of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, JNIM). The head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service explained: "The fact that the rebels have obtained the necessary data to be able to carry out an operation against Russian war criminals has already been observed by the whole world. Of course, we will not reveal the details". The term "rebels" is therefore used in a very general way.
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